Man accused of murdering former Navy veteran roommate in Hampton represents himself in court

HAMPTON, Va. - A man on trial for murder is representing himself in front of a jury. The trial began Monday and was originally expected to last 10 days but will likely end this week, or early next week.

Eric Saub

Eric Saub was 29 when he was charged with killing his former roommate, 26-year-old former Navy Sailor Jean Marie Smith, in 2015.

A hunter came across Smith's body on Hatchers Lane and investigators determined she had been killed on April 15 with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head.

A few days later, her former roommate, Saub, was arrested on unrelated charges and was questioned by the Isle of Wight County Sheriff's Office on April 18, where he admitted to being one of the last people to see Smith.

Saub was listed as the murder suspect and was arrested a few days later for those charges. He has been behind bars ever since, accused of not only killing the young Navy veteran but also creating fraudulent accounts and stealing from the victim and the victim's grandmother.

Saub no longer wanted counsel to represent him last year so he has taken the case into his own hands.

The victim's mother has been inside the courthouse and tells News 3 the months leading up to the trial have been very hard.

In court prosecutors pointed out the cell communication Saub and Smith had leading up to the day investigators believed she was killed. They had expert witnesses testify that the two cell phones sent out pings from the body site before Smith's phone was cut off.

News 3 knows Saub was living with Smith's grandmother as a tenant while Smith was living there, but she moved out of the house before the crime.